Ben Bland is the director of the Southeast Asia program at the Lowy Institute and the author of "Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia."
Many fear that overt displays of disharmony will do long-term damage


Indonesian President Joko Widodo, center, delivers his press statement following ASEAN leaders' meeting in Jakarta in April 2021: strong regional organizations can only be forged through a crisis. (Handout photo from Indonesian Presidential Palace) © AP
Ben Bland is the director of the Southeast Asia program at the Lowy Institute and the author of "Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia."